There is a huge debate going on right now between the environmentalists and the automotive purists. The battle? E10 fuel.

While folks touted E10 as the do all to end all and totally hyped it up before it was released, there has been considerable backlash against the fuel. There is even a backlash in certain places like Victoria who has silenced the mandate on this E10 fuel; so much so that huge companies like Shell have pulled E10 from the stations due to lack of interest. There are several reasons why not to use E10 fuel for your car; here are a few.

So the big thing with E10 fuel or ethanol-petrol blends was supposed to be all about the environmental savings and the superior performance. Unfortunately that hasn't been the way things have worked out. Even though the E10 is supposed to be such a better deal for the environment the fact of the matter is that E10 cars emit more CO2 than premium unleaded fuelled cars. Fuel economy also suffers with E10 fuel.

E10 fuel is supposed to be so vastly superior to premium unleaded fuel and in truth E10 fuel does cost less per litre. But that doesn't tell the whole story. The ethanol fuel has got less get up and go. When the ethanol fuel requires more effort to get your car to go the same distance as the premium unleaded, that doesn't seem like a very good deal. You are paying less but you are also burning the fuel off far quicker. Which means you are back at the service station sooner than you would have been if you had just spent a couple of extra coins and gotten the good stuff.

This one is the real kicker. So your fuel consumption is way up with the E10 fuel. You are using more fuel to take you the same distance, you are having to stop for fuel more often, and you are pouring out more CO2 into the air. Which is bad enough as it is. But then there is the issue of your engine being decorated with carbon deposits in the fuel intake valves.

Many mechanics have noticed it and have raised the alarm. The higher octane premium fuel does a great job of cleaning itself and cleaning your engine. But the ethanol fuel does not operate in the same way. Maybe car dealers just need to begin making engines which operate better with the E10 fuels. But the chances of an average car engine being able to have the same pickup as it would with premium fuel is a long ways off. Couple that with the fact that your car is running dirtier and less efficiently with the E10 fuel and you can begin to understand why there has been so much outrage within the driving community over these matters.